Even without the SLT (which we all know is not getting finished) traffic would be helped quite a bit by changing the stops on 31st and Haskell and 31st and Louisiana into traffic favoring lights, and perhaps widening the Haskell, Lou stretch to two lane.

The myth of the SLT saving everything is just that, a myth. Face it, rush hour in this town, with or without an SLT, with or without the students, is a joke. The only real problem day we have is Friday, where it might take a WHOLE 25 MINUTES to get from one side of the town to the next (unless you mindlessly take 23rd st and/or Iowa and if so, thanks for staying off the streets I like to take). The rest is just spoiled midwesterners whining.

The gooberment could suspend the drivers' licenses of half the populace for a year. There could be a lottery to decide who gets suspended. Lon, er I mean John, Chaney could be the official who draws the names of those to be suspended. The next year, the other half could be suspended, suspensions then alternating in subsequent years. This would cut down on traffic congestion by 50 %, I think. Sounds a little like a plan.

Time the lights would help. I can make it, with luck from Haskell to Iowa all green. Then invaribly Iowa will change. Maybe a frontage road on both sides? Nope no room. Finish the SLT, upgrade 31st (what are they waiting on anyway? (money or time). Can they run 31st street out to 10? or is that the same as SLT?

Sue's plan is well thought out and, perhaps, the only one that will ultimately be effective. The final solution. Maybe its come to that. Eliminate cars and you eliminate the problem. And trucks, too. And motorcycles, too. And the scooters. And maybe a few bidnesses, too, but every fine plan has a downside.

Increase traffic flow on other East/West running roads by improving 19th and 31st.

Reduce the number of curb cuts on 23rd between Louisiana and Iowa.

Add right hand turn lanes at Lousiana and Naismith so that traffic isn't slowed down by all the people turning right.

Create a center turn lane between Haskell and Louisiana. (all center turn lanes should have concrete dividers so that you can only turn at appropriate places and not worry constantly about head on collisions)

Create an Eastern Bypass from Noria road (mile marker 7 on K-10) connecting to 6th street at Mass. (start adding right hand turn lanes on 6th at that point too).

(optional) require commercial trucks to use alternate routes between 7 and 9 A.M. and 4 and 6 P.M.

First of all, Lawrence traffic is not bad. After having lived in Tulsa for four years, and in Lawrence for four years now, I cannot understand why people complain about the traffic.

To me, it's a non-issue. I think the whole argument was started to muster support for the South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT). The SLT has less to do about alleviating traffic and more to do with commercial business and real estate interests.

The SLT will NEVER happen. But if it did, it would eventually turn Lawrence into another suburb of Kansas city. It would morph into an Olathe or Overland Park. Have you gone to the west side lately? It totally mirrors Overland Park. Do you want the rest of the city to look like that? That's not the Lawrence I know and love.

Just b/c traffic is worse somewhere else, does not mean it is just fine here.

Klondike bars are a good idea. I may be the only one that feels this way, but 6th street is just as bad, if not worse, as 23rd to me. At least during normal hours, rush hour may be a little different, but I am never on 6th during that time.

I can see that we are all ready for a long weekend!! All y'all are either giggly or grumpy :)

In the related article's comment area, "kcwarpony" has a good post on another city's solution -- no left turns, concrete barrier instead of turn lane, U turns legal at intersections on left turn arrow. There are, no doubt, problems associated with such a plan, and I know I can count on other posters to point them out:):)

There is no construction cure for the "suicide lane". It could be improved...but not cured. It's the drivers folks! Until everyone realizes that their destination is not more important than someone elses destination this (and all driving related issues) will not be solved with construction.

Government issued flying cars for the poor. Have tethered zeppelins that shuttle back and forth along 23rd -- call it "The Z." Ban drivers who have the letter R in their last name, and no black or white vehicles -- all must be a real color. That should do it.

RI, Your plan is flawed. The check points would just slow down traffic and waiting in line for conjestion relief would just make people cranky and increase road-rage. It would cost the city millions to implement the plan because we would have to keep tabs on those receiving the sudafed. Duh!

sgt: I prefer the big-glasses bug-eye look (not that I wear them!) to those goofy wrap-around Oakley things of the '90s. Silly shapes with pointy ends, and they cost hundreds of dollars? Please. I'm happy to see those things go the way of Members Only jackets.

I, for one, will phone da lawyer and suedafeds if dey twy to keep me fwom dwiving on da stweet I wanna dwive on when I wanna dwive on it. Dis whole subject is dwiving me cwazy. Lucky for me, da twip is a short one, even dough dere's wots of twaffic.

ban on privately-owned automobiles within city limits. Allow only foot, bicycle, mass transit and community cars for carpooling. Set up park and rides just outside the city limits for driving out of town. This is where one could keep their car when not in use. Ahhh, imagine life without the killing machines clogging the streets of town. What a beautiful thing!!!!

Good point, prospector. Wouldn't it work even better if they provided cop-like outfits with the bikes?

In a town near here, the police sometimes leave a car with a blow-up dummy to make people slow down. Those who know about it like to go take pictures of themselves draped across a cop car -- typically lying on the hood. Comedy value = high.

I like the Sunflower Sue suggestion to put up barriers. My biggest concern for 23rd street is the poor desperate folks who plow all of their life savings into a new eatery on this street. So in additions to closing off the poor street to all traffic I would outlaw any new investment in a sushi/BBQ/Pub/Sub Shop. Although sin sellers seem to do well in this local.

Or, we could eliminate all traffic lights, strip the street of any lane markings, set-up grandstands and sell tickets. NASCAR look out! Not just a little rubb'n but full head on collisions. It's an idea that has just been sitting there, for years, and years.

We should ban KU students from owning cars. Since the majority never pay attention during lectures anyway, they don't really need to go to class. (The motivated students won't mind walking to class.) Then, since there is a serious obesity problem in this country, they could walk wherever they need to go and it would be good for them. No more traffic problems, no more obese college students. This will inevitably decrease healthcare costs in the future and solve the traffic problems of today. Yeah, problem(s) solved!

6-7 years ago, a recent transplant to Lawrence asked me "WHO is on your traffic committee and why haven't they been lynched?". He was referring, mainly, to 23rd street from Iowa on east.

The damage was done years/decades ago. Lack of good future planning. Good urban planners know that main corridor streets need to have a LOT of frontage left uncluttered - no buildings/shops close to the street - and very FEW road cuts into the main road. That way, there are only a few places where people get to turn in, and there is room left to install new turn lanes, light etc. More like what they have over by the newer "Mall" stores south on Iowa. What we have on 23rd is the exact opposite situation.

To fix it now - by whatever means decided - would most likely require the government to condemn (take and pay high prices for) the privately owned parts of the road to each side, to correct the problem. That would mean MORE taxes for you and I.

My suggestion. Don't drive down 23rd if you can help it. Ever.

Meanwhile, rather then lynch the traffic commission, how about putting people on it who have crystal balls....or some advanced training in figuring out that main drive-through streets do not make for smooth saling when the area is chock full of businesses. We probably cannot fix 23rd, not cheaply anyway. But we might be able to avoid creating such a cluster in other places in town.

Maybe the last leg of the long-stalled out by-pass might get more support now?

In all seriousness, the street entrances to the various restraunts, I.E. KFC McDonalds, Pizza hut are the biggest problems between Iowa and Haskell.

The solution is to help these businesses with entrances that mesh together, or come in off of perpendicular roads, i.e. Alabama. Perhaps a back road behind the businesses.

Even easier than that... Fool proof plan. On the middle lane, there could be yellow, and red paint. Red for those areas that are designated left hand turn lanes for adjacent roads. If the area is red, i.e. if you are heading westbound on 23rd and want to pull into KFC without turning down Alabama,(whos entrance is poorly placed too close to Alabama) you couldn't do it, the red paint would signify that this part of the middle lane is sectioned for a turning lane.

We should commend QT for placing there lot entrace so far away from Haskell, while it is not always easy to get in and out of it is far enough from Haskell to not create a problem every time.

I have seen some people hit other people @ heavy traffic times, because a westbound driver will think he can bypass waiting for traffic flow to get him/her close enough to Haskell to move into the southbound / left turn lane, so they use the center lane as a driving lane, and there will be somone turning out of QT to go eastbound. Whos fault... the driver who decided it was a driving lane just for them.

RI, next time post a don the Depends alert. Squeeze out a couple of kids and the 'ol bladder doesn't hold up as well to the laugh attacks.

Well, I did it! I just managed to get to a business on 23rd and actually only drove less than a city block ON 23rd! Back roads all the way, baby! It can be done. Of course, I did almost run over a young teen on a skateboard that thought it would be fun to skim through traffic. Rolling down the window and yelling "idiot" did make me feel temporarily better. I have to give the kid credit for spunk. He just yelled back: "I love you, too." He's still an idiot. A spunky idiot.